You're Not My Lord
by superherogirl
Summary: Sequel to Chambermaid, Riku's Story. Will he ever be able to escape from the clutches of his duties as Prince of Destiny? What happens when said Prince falls for an assassin with a dark past that not even he remembers? Indeed, destiny is in motion.
1. Chapter 1

I should've _really_ posted this AGES ago, seeing as how I finished this chapter back in March. Oh, how shameful. D: Either way, it's about time I share this tale of quite epic proportions if I might add—I'm adding a little bit of everything, as always with my work—so I could get the motivation to write more for it. It slowly went from a simple Kingdom Hearts AU, to a crossover in just two chapters! If anyone is a fan of the Persona series, you might be in for a nice surprise. ;) Once again I'm utilizing all my occult knowledge and mixing it up into the story. So yes, as in almost all my fics on here, the tarot will have to do with a lot of the story's plot. :D Also, I didn't add this into the crossover section, because the main pairing here is Riku/Sora and obviously Kairi/Selphie. Ryoji/Minato ( P3 ) is just an added bonus. :P

Without further ado, here is the sequel to** Chambermaid**. I hope it'll be just as enjoyable to read as the first part ( even if it might be rather lengthy compared to the first ). Now, it's Riku's turn to find love. Plus, I'll conclude Kairi's portion in this one as well. Poor gal, it'll be off with my head if I don't continue her story too.

Anyone remember my **Raspberry Swirl** story and the Kairi Rules? XD I'l see if I can get creative this time around, and some more bonuses as well. Anyways, on to the chapter!

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It was such a beautiful day outside, everyone in the kingdom agreed, but not prince Riku. Certainly for one that was self-absorbed with their own problems would not notice the beauty in anything. Just because it was bright and sunny outside, didn't mean it was bright and sunny for him.

With the arranged wedding ceremony approximately a week away, nothing seemed to cheer him up.

Riku was grateful that his future wife was someone that he enjoyed being with, but he didn't _love_ princess Kairi. She was a great _friend_. Nothing more, nothing less. Thankfully all etiquette lessons, and royal duties were cancelled that week due to the festival preparations. He'd rather go through the torture of royal duties than get married any day, but it didn't seem as if he had a choice.

All the prince ever wanted was to find that person he could connect with. He connected with princess Kairi to a certain extent, but as mentioned before there was no attraction there. His father warned him though, if he didn't want to marry Kairi… they would have to find someone else. Riku didn't want to take his chances with anyone else. He felt completely miserable having to marry someone he didn't love, but at least he _knew_ her. They'd been friends since they were very young. Maybe in time they'd learn to love each other. Maybe…

Although, that was not going to be the case, because Kairi had recently confessed something to Riku. She fell in love, which proved his theory to be quite incorrect. There was never going to be any room for him in Kairi's heart. He blushed after the confession, without knowing what to say next. But he was indeed happy for her, along with a bit of jealousy on the side. The way she carelessly said it…

_Kairi sighed a dreamy kind of sigh, "You've never been_ in _love Riku, it _only _works if you have."_

He was jealous at the fact that she knew what it felt like to be in love with someone. The look in her eyes when she said the person's name; it sure seemed like love to him. Then again what would he know? That feeling was completely foreign to him. Everyone says that falling in love isn't as painful as it sounds. It wasn't fair, Riku wanted to fall so deep in love that he would hurt all over for the rest of his life. At least then he could showcase that carefree smile the way that _she_ had. Because no matter how much it hurt, it would all be worth it just to smile in that fashion. To _know _that you're smiling because as long as you have that person by your side, you could feel _alive_.

She got to experience it before he did. Not only that, but his chances of ever falling in love with _anyone_, were slowing diminishing as the days continued to go by.

But then came the question of, how? Who was this person Kairi was in love with? Could they somehow be able to stop the wedding if that were the case? No, of course not, because typical _princess _Kairi had to go and fall in love with her _**chambermaid**_.

"_Selphie…?"_

Kairi nodded, "Yes Riku. Gosh, you've never been hard of hearing before."

"Don't mock me, _princess_. You know very well that, well, this doesn't change _anything_. I thought you'd actually found someone else to marry, and then everything would be called off…"

Kairi glared at him, "Could you stop thinking so negatively! We still have a week, and by then I guarantee everything will piece together the way it should."

"And how do you suppose that---" Kairi shushed him.

The girl smiled once more, that same carefree smile that made Riku's skin crawl in utter envy, "Trust me, all right? No one can make us marry someone that we don't love in return. No matter what anyone says. I promise you that."

Riku scoffed, "Sure, you're all cheery now because you actually _found_ someone… But I on the other hand, haven't. You can live happily ever after with_ her_, but the same doesn't apply to me."

"Stop being such a bitter bratty prince. Why don't you leave the castle tomorrow? Go have some fun! You certainly need it."

"You seem to have forgotten _Lady_ Kairi, royalty can't leave the castle walls without a darn good excuse, and frankly I'm lacking one."

The redhead sighed and began to walk back inside, "Talk to your chamberlain, he'll figure something out."

Riku followed her and rolled his eyes, "Oh yes, because Axel is going to figure out a way to help me _escape_ from the castle so I can freely go frolic outside with the townsfolk. Because obviously his duty is actually to follow _my_ orders. Forget the fact that my father, the king, will execute him on the spot if he ever figured out of such dastardly ridiculous plans. Naturally, not before locking _me_ up in my chambers until the day of the ceremony comes along." The silver-haired royal then chuckled as he took one last breath of fresh air before returning to the main hall of the castle.

"Your whines and arrogance are definitely not becoming of you. Your father has let you go out in the past, right?"

"Going out with a bunch of bodyguards all around me doesn't count."

She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Oh Riku, loosen up! I'll convince Axel! Besides, he owes me one."

And with that she simply made her way to the kitchen to pursue some of that delicious cheesecake dessert the cook was fond of making. The head chef, Xemnas, was the best in the kingdom!

The silver-haired boy thought everything over, and couldn't understand any of it… How could _his_ chamberlain owe Kairi a favor? Of all people, why her?

He shrugged it all off, and realized he was worrying too much. There was no reason not to trust his best friend. More than half of the time, all she said, sooner or later, came true. Riku finally smiled and went into the kitchen as well.

The squeals from an overly anxious princess were heard in the distance, "_**THE CHEESECAKE IS SHAPED LIKE A HEART! HOW ADORABLE! CHEF XEMNAS YOU'RE THE GREATEST!!!!! **__"_

Riku was more than certain that after the squeals came the inevitable glomp attacks, which the princess was very fond of. He could only hope that chef Xemnas would never resign due to said glomp attacks. The man didn't look like the kind of person that liked being touched in any way shape or form, especially not _glomped_.

No matter how annoying the princess came off to be, everyone eventually warmed up to her. Although, Riku was a different story. Everyone in the castle knew he was a serious boy with a very stern attitude. Not to say that the boy was unpleasant, it's just, he never let his guard down. Not even in front of the princess; it wasn't his style. The most anyone got out of the prince was a mere chuckle, and only Kairi could pull that off. Whenever she would clumsily break something, or fall flat on her patootie, there went the chuckle… But it was indeed at the expense of Kairi making a fool of herself, and only then.

He sighed once more, and really thought the idea over. Maybe she was right, all he needed was a bit more freedom. Kairi was an expert at sneaking out of the castle, but Riku as much as his curiosity got the best of him, wasn't so inclined to explore. Even though his body yearned for adventure, and he knew it was in his blood. Regardless, he felt empty inside. No ambition, or motivation… No wonder he was such a stick in the mud!

Before another thought could process in that dull head of his, he excused himself and went to find the king's most trusted chamberlain.

Kairi called out after him, "Just letting you know I'm going to eat your piece!"

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"The answer is NO."

"Oh come on! I never ask you for _any_ favors, Axel!"

"Prince Riku, your father has given me specific orders. If by any chance I don't abide by these orders, it's my head. Do you understand that?"

The prince scoffed, "Seriously, you were the _executioner_, how the hell does my father come to think that you could _protect_ me best? And isn't all that a huge oxymoron?!"

"Well, you didn't have to go and bring up all that," The redhead chuckled and passed a hand over his unruly spiky hair.

Kairi tried to stifle her giggles best she could, but to no avail. Riku did have a point… How did the king come to the conclusion that a former executioner could benefit--- Oh wait. She just got it. Wow, Riku had a brilliant, yet _very _disturbed daddy.

Axel sighed and sat on one of the available chairs in the prince's quarters. "Listen, I know you must feel rather overwhelmed—"

"—Overwhelmed is an understatement, and you know it," Riku grumbled stubbornly and plopped himself on his _king _sized bed.

"Sir…"

It was Kairi that interrupted that time around, and she looked at Axel a tad bit irritated. She placed her hands on either side of her hips, "You are truly being unfair. Just this once, please? He's always cooped up in here, and it's not healthy. Sure, the estate makes up most of the kingdom, _but still_."

Axel looked away from the princess' gaze, because he knew if he looked into those determined eyes he would not be able to say no. At the moment, no was not an option though. "You've got to understand princess… I'm not willing to risk _my_ neck just because the prince feels like being a—"

Kairi didn't let him say another word, she was completely pissed. The girl thought she knew the man better, but apparently not. She jabbed her finger to his chest, "If you even dare to finish that sentence I'll personally execute you myself! Riku has _never_ bothered with such things, and that's why he's so, so… Just look at him!"

Axel turned to look over to the prince, and Riku in return blinked. The redhead didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, so he simply shrugged. "Is there something _wrong_ with him? Personally, I can't tell."

Her eyes glowed red at that instant, and she literally picked the man up by his uniform, "Now, you _listen_ and you _**listen good**_. This boy was raised without any excitement in his life whatsoever. All he knows to do is follow orders! I mean honestly, you'd think a _prince_ would have more _privileges _than that! But on the contrary, ever since he was born it's been responsibilities after responsibilities… Where's the fun in that? He's not aware of all the beautiful things in the world. How can he be? If he's never really truly experienced what's out there! How could he _know_ what to give to his people once he becomes king, if he doesn't _know_ what the people want. He needs to _**know**_ what the people want! DAMN IT WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?!"

Riku immediately got off the bed and went to his chamberlain's aide, "Kairi, I think he gets it! Let him go!"

"I'm sure the prince knows what the people want… I mean every week there's the meeting with the townsfolk and--"

Kairi was about to bite off the buffoon's head, "_**THAT'S NOT THE SAME YOU NINCOMPOOP!**_"

Axel stayed calm as day and lightly coughed, "Milady… is it too much trouble to… let me go? I have a meeting to attend in about," He checked his pocket watch, "A couple of minutes. So if you could be so— _OOF!_"

A grunt was heard as the taller man rubbed him rump, "I'll agree to this proposition in _one_ condition."

Riku continued to stare intently at Axel and nodded, "I'm all ears."

"Good. Now, first of all, naturally I must come along. I must monitor your every movement. If something were to somehow happen on your little _adventure_ outside the castle, it wouldn't be too good for myself."

Both Kairi and Riku nodded some more in agreement. It would be quite the sad day when a former executioner becomes the executed. They both also cringed at the thought.

"And secondly, you must follow my rules. If you leave my side for a single moment or decide to rebel while in town, we're going back. Even if it means I must use, _force_. Got it memorized?"

"What is he five?!"

Riku shushed Kairi, "All right, anything else?"

Axel smirked, "Yes. One last thing. After this _gigantic_ favor and all… I should think I deserve a prize of sorts. Don't you agree?"

The prince sighed, "What do you want, Axel?"

"Oh, nothing much, really. Just a compensation's kiss. That's all," the man grinned as he leaned against the door, clutching onto the doorknob in the process.

"Um…"

Kairi's eyes widened, and was at a loss for words. Did that man really? Did he just…?

Riku gulped and looked down, "Okay, if it's a kiss you want. I'll—"

Axel waved his arms around and made a disgusted face, "No, no, no! Not from _you_."

Now Kairi just glared daggers in the other redhead's general direction, "I do hope you're not insinuating _me_."

"Have you no respect for the bride to be?! How dare you ask for such a disrespectful request!" Kairi helplessly looked over at Riku. He had to say _something_, even if they didn't have any feelings for each other… Was he going to let that trite little man, or not so little —far from the point—, manipulate the situation to his disgusting advantage?

Riku sighed but regardless agreed, "If that's what you want, it's done. But remember, just a mere peck, tis all."

"_**WHAT?!**_"Kairi stood there in absolute shock. She had just been sold out! Used and… all right not abused… or was she? How rude! How could her best friend agree to such a thing? She could almost cry.

"It is a great honor Milord, for even just a mere peck is worth—"

"—Please, I don't want to hear it. Just, get on with it. If anyone were to see the scandalous display, all hell would break loose for sure."

The princess was still in complete shock, and was highly disappointed. Although, if Riku thought she was going to give _anyone_ a mere peck _anywhere_ he had another thing coming. As well as did the chamberlain. Before Axel had the chance to step anywhere near her bubble, she began to walk towards him.

That's right take the bait, and everything will go back to the way it was prior. She smiled coyly, and placed a hand on one of Axel's shoulders. "You're right Axel, I have been _yearning _for this just as much as you have. Now, come _closer_," she finished off with an almost too sweet whisper.

Axel could hardly believe what he was hearing. Sure, the request in itself was a long shot, but it was coming along wonderfully. Who didn't dream of getting to kiss the princess of Heart? Now he could brag to his friends, and— wait… he was kinda lacking in the friends department. That was not going to stop him though! Ha! He slowly leaned closer to the princess' lips, with a smirk adorning his face the entire time… until.

A loud squeak and then followed by yet another _oof_ was heard throughout the room.

Kairi grinned wide as she apparently hit the designated area, "Was it all you dreamed of, chamberlain? I hope it was as good for you as it was for me. Toodles~!" She left the room, but not before sending one last glare in her _best friend's_ direction. Oh, he was not going to hear the end of that any time soon. She'll make sure he'll never forget it.

As the door slammed behind her, Riku couldn't keep it in any longer. He covered his mouth and snorted.

"What are _you_ laughing at?!" Axel growled as he continued to writhe in pain, and whine in a higher pitch than usual.

It was fun to mess with them from time to time. Dear all that's holy, Riku needed to get a new hobby. He was a little worried for his life at the moment, and it had nothing to do with his plan to leave the castle. Kairi was far more dangerous than any king's men.

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It was a couple of minutes to midnight, and around the time the chambermaids of the castle checked up on the prince. Riku had hidden his pseudo peasant outfit, which Kairi so kindly let him borrow, since she had a few to spare. She seemed to sneak out of the castle_ a lot_.

Riku sometimes wished he could be more carefree like her, but the life they lived was not one of such. How can royalty _be _carefree? There are so many responsibilities that if he doesn't keep a serious disposition about him, the rest of the kingdom would see him as a complete joke. He had to be respected, otherwise once the kingdom was his to rule it would be pandemonium.

Structure and a strong sense of discipline are two very important lessons Riku knows will lead him to the path of greatness. His father taught him well, and he knew what he had to do. What was he thinking? Sneaking out of the castle was the last thing his father would approve of. He needed to do what was best for the kingdom.

There was a knock on the chamber door. A man with a scar from the top left side of his forehead to the bottom right side of his face, just under his eye, walked in. "My Lord, the king has sent me to inform you of the upcoming rehearsals for the marriage ceremony. He wants you to be up bright and early to finish up the preparations tomorrow."

Riku only shrugged, "Whatever. Is that all?"

The brunet nodded, "Yes, Sir."

"Then you're dismissed."

"Thank you."

As the man walked out, Riku called out to him, "Leon wait! I… May I have a word?"

Another nod in the prince's direction, and the king's second knight in command walked right back into the room. "What's on your mind your Highness?"

The prince thought very hard about what he was about to say. He decided to be as vague as possible, but knowing Leon he would dismiss it and be just as vague back. Maybe there was a better approach to it all. Riku took a deep breath, and blurted it out. Whatever was not supposed to come out, came out regardless. "_I don't want to get married!"_

Leon pondered and scratched his chin in a pensive manner, "Right, right I see--- Wait, what?"

"You heard me. I don't want to marry. Why do I have to? I don't even love princess Kairi… in _that _way anyway…"

"Sir, I highly doubt I'm the appropriate person to go and tell this to. Have you told the king—"

"—Of course not! What's he going to do? Besides, it's tradition. It's in the sacred scrolls… Both kingdoms have waited for this day for quite some time. I don't think my father would take it lightly if I were to tell him _now_ about my feelings towards the arranged marriage."

Leon passed a hand over his face in frustration, "Once again, Milord, it's not up to me to decide. This is your responsibility to the kingdom. If you can't except that, then I suppose you're just not fit to be the Prince of Destiny, or the future king for that matter."

That much was expected coming from Leon, he was very devoted to his father and the kingdom. It was a mistake to confide in him, but he had needed to talk to someone. Regardless, he knew now what he had to do. Riku nodded in agreement, "You're absolutely right. What was I thinking? I guess, it was cold feet…"

The brunet wasn't buying much of that, but for the sake of preventing future conflict, he nodded back. "Good. Now, go to bed. There is much to do tomorrow." He then left the prince's chambers once more.

Riku smirked and pulled out his disguise from it's hiding place. He also took two sheets of parchment, and began writing. "If there's no way to remedy this, then I suppose I'm unfit to be royalty all together. Thank you Leon, now I know better." With that he decided what was best for himself. The kingdom was much better off without him.

After leaving his room, he quietly passed by some sleeping guards. Who knew the kingdom's security sucked so bad? Well, not that Riku was complaining.

The silver-haired prince stood now upon a red door. If he hadn't known any better he would jump to the conclusion the door would lead to the underworld. It sure seemed like it, according to how nervous and anxious the boy felt. He simply slipped a letter underneath the door.

"Finally. Freedom, at last."

He followed the secret passage map he had obtained from Kairi. How she knew of all the secret passageways inside _his_ castle was beyond him. Riku could hardly contain his anxiety and excitement. That was probably the first ever decision he had ever made on his own, without the influence of his father. Hopefully it wouldn't be the last.

Droplets of water slowly kept falling down onto the ground, nearing the dungeons. He would have to be extra careful around there, seeing as it was under close watch at _all_ times. All he brought with him was the clothes on his back, and a necklace. It would've probably been best to had left it, but it was very special to him. Probably the only thing his mother, former queen of Destiny, had ever given him.

Prince Riku, could finally smell the wet grass, it had just finished raining. He had to crawl into a deep hole in the dungeons to reach the end of the passageway. It was dusty and dirty, probably even muddy or full of rodents, but he didn't care.

"_I'm almost there…_"

A voice was heard as he approached the moonlight that embraced the last bit of the tunnel. Riku panicked. What if he had been caught? No, he couldn't get caught now. He was so close!

"_Hey, you there! What are you doing?_"

Riku froze and contemplated turning back towards the dungeons, but that would've been quite cowardly. He should face his punishment like a man! Or a Prince! Even if he technically, wasn't maybe, not a prince anymore since he was escaping from his home and…

"_Answer me buddy! I'm here to help_."

"Huh?" Riku poked his head out from the hole and stared at a blond with really bright colored eyes. They resembled his slightly. He also seemed familiar…

"Don't you recognize me? Either way, the name's Demyx," He grabbed Riku's hand and pulled him out. Then he picked up his sitar that he had left on the ground.

"You're… the…"

"Yeah, I'm sure you've seen me once or twice. I perform at different kingdoms, but I mostly reside in the Kingdom of Heart."

"How did you know that I…?"

"Princess Kairi sent me, she thought you might want to break out tonight. She was told about the marriage rehearsals as well."

Riku tried his best to dust and clean off the outfit he had put on, but no luck. Well, he could at least say he was sure to fit in a bit better now. Although, he must keep his hood over his head on at all costs. If anyone were to see his hair, they'd know he was the prince for sure. "Thank you. I… did she tell you anything else?"

"Nope. But I can assure you I'll be around to help you, if needed. Tomorrow I'll be performing in town. Would you like to join me?-- Oh right! Never mind… That would be drawing attention to yourself. Heh… Oops." He chuckled nervously, and bonked himself over the head for his carelessness.

The blond was an interesting fellow to say the least, Riku thought. Demyx was right though, he couldn't risk drawing any attention upon himself. "I'll watch from afar, if that's all right. For now though, I'll just go and explore."

Demyx grinned, "That's nice and all but… It's not wise to explore at this time. We should really get out of here before—"

"_**INTRUDERS!!!!**_"

"Um, I think we better leave now."

"Run, run away!!" Demyx grabbed Riku's hand again, and they hauled their butts out of the castle grounds.

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	2. Chapter 2

All right loves, this time around we've got much to cover. A lot of the characters' history is being revealed, and it might lead to just more questions in general. As I mentioned last chapter, this will be a sorta crossover with Persona 3 characters. Who knows who else will get infiltrated into this story~! :D Either way, as always more author's notes at the end of the chapter. I do hope you guys enjoy this one as well. :)

Also, if anyone is curious as to know what each tarot card means in the long run, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be your tarotpedia! :D Here's a small synopsis of what to look forward to: Many character appearances, including Sora, magic spells, one _very_ sexy _Mistress_ Lulu, new recruits by the name of Ryoji and Minato, and the beginning of Sora and Riku's _fool's journey_. Did I mention that Sora gets turned into a fluffy bunny? Well, now I did~ :P

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In a poorly lit environment with countless medicinal herbs in numerous jars all around, a petite blonde continued to tidy up upon waiting for her mistress' arrival. Another brunette volunteered to assist her friend in order to have everything ready for their afternoon lessons. Both Naminé and Yuna were very grateful for Mistress Lulu's guidance. If it hadn't been for her they would probably be starving in the streets of the kingdom, or still wandering from place to place, nowhere to call home. Or worst, they probably wouldn't even be alive.

It had been such a scary experience, and in all honesty Mistress Lulu had seemed more evil than good, but they were very wrong to judge. There had been rumors spreading all around the kingdom for quite some time of a woman that would find orphans, give them a place to stay, and then after gaining their trust, would _eat _them. By eating, they certainly didn't think they meant she was some sort of cannibal, but she would _eat_ their life essence. That is why, when she would appear in front of her unsuspecting victim, they would only see a beautiful woman with an allure about her that would even call upon those not of this world.

Naminé had been the first of the group of children that were _collected_, but it has already been a year and she couldn't be any happier. She had a home, friends, and a caring guardian that was probably the wisest in all the land. Mistress Lulu was the all knowing Priestess of the Kingdom of Destiny, maybe even of Heart as well, but no one but her _children_ would ever know. That's why, she owed this woman more than her life, for the knowledge she has now is all thanks to Mistress Lulu.

"Are you okay, Nami? You seem out of it," the brunette smiled as she placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

The school which was disguised as an apothecary, almost gleamed from the bit of sunlight that shone at the far end of the shop. Everything was in order, and Naminé knew she would only be praised for her work, as well as Yuna. She shook her head slightly, "I'm all right. I was just reminiscing a bit, that's all. It's been a year already, have you noticed?"

Yuna gasped, "Oh my, you're right! We've been staying with Mistress Lulu for a year! It's amazing how many more students we have nowadays… Although, some don't stay here with us, since they have their own families. I can't believe we ever doubted—"

"—I know, I'm ashamed as well. But, at least we can make up for it by being completely devoted to our studies. That'll make her proud, and you know it. She anticipates the day we finally cast our first successful spell, or receive our first accurate premonition."

"Of course, and I gotta admit… I'm really excited about it too. I hope we can live up to her expectations. It's a shame Paine and Rikku didn't have the potential."

"Yunie! Come on, they're happy doing what they do. Rikku has always lived life on the edge, and we all know she_ loves _being a pickpocket. Paine, too, wherever Rikku goes, she's sure to follow. Those girls are never apart," Naminé giggled. "Besides, they're amazing at what they do. Although…" She then trailed off.

The brunette didn't need a sixth sense to know exactly what her best friend was thinking, "You're worried about Sora and Roxas right?"

She nodded, "I can't help it. Why does Sora have to do_ those _kind of things? I've sensed a dark aura around him for awhile, this _cloud_… He's not happy, but he knows he has to bring money back home somehow. Roxas is always looking out after him, but I wish he would knock some sense into him too."

"Don't worry, I _know_ things will look up. For now, focus on _you_, on what you have yet to blossom. All right?" Yuna smiled and hugged the blonde tightly.

Before another word was exchanged between the two, the door chimes were heard and a boy with quite the disobedient-gravity-defying hair walked in. He made his way towards the girls with the brightest of smiles, "Naminé, Yuna!— Whoa, the place is spotless!" He gave them both two thumbs up, "Lulu is gonna be super happy!"

"Sora! You _know_ you're supposed to refer to her as _Mistress_ Lulu! She would've turned you into a toad if she heard you disrespecting her like that!"

The brunet laughed and wrapped his arms around the two girls, "Ah come on, she _loves_ me. She would _never _turn me into _anything_. I'm too cute for that," He finished off with a wink.

Another boy walked into the shop, followed by another strong _presence_, almost filling the place with quite the ominous energy. The other boy in question felt the hairs at the back of his neck, stand on end. When Sora realized who it was exactly that was standing a mere couple of feet away, he practically piddled on himself.

"_Mistress_ Lulu! So glad to see you! Um… I was just finishing up here… with the girls, yeah. That's _exactly_ what I was doing!" Sora gulped and looked around at his cousin who was stifling his laughter. That was just _not right_!

Dark purple colored lips smirked, as a slippery sinister voice oozed from them, making the room feel even more uncomfortable, "Oh? So I'm _Mistress _now, huh? I thought you didn't feel the need to address me as such. Hmm?"

Sora gulped again, letting his nerves fully take over as he chuckled, "Uh, no, no! I— You see, I was just being— I'm sorry! Please don't turn me into a _toad_!"

Lulu tilted her head slightly, "Why? Because you're too cute to be turned into one? All right, Sora, I won't turn you into a toad. How about something that will suffice to your level of _cuteness_?"

"I'm good, thanks! I'll— Get back to work…"

The dark sorceress sighed, "Remember what I've told you Sora, you could only be a fool in your journey for so long. I wouldn't want you to make any more disastrous mistakes than necessary. Just, have some respect for your fellow peers, is that clear?"

"O-Okay. I-Is, that all?" Sora blushed as he averted his gaze.

"Yes, for you see, there are two new students I'd like to introduce everyone to," Lulu then smiled as each of the students in question stood by her side, which everyone could've sworn they weren't there before. They both had tattered clothes on, and looked badly bruised. At least they had distinguishable features, but none of them seemed to be really there. It was all so surreal…

The blonde sorceress in training approached them, "It's nice to meet you both! I'm Naminé. I look forward to making wonderful memories with you." She finished off her cheery greeting with the most sweetest of smiles. Although, when none of them replied, she frowned. Was it something she said?

The other blond boy present had decided to approach them as well, and glared at them, "Hey! Naminé just said hi to you two, aren't you going to say anything back?"

Lulu sighed, "Calm down, Roxas. They've just gone through quite the delicate ordeal, besides one cannot speak, while the other can't see. Cut them some slack."

It was Roxas' turn to blush, "I-I'm sorry, Mistress Lulu— I didn't know…"

Their teacher shook her head, "You had no way of knowing. Now, is it all right to properly introduce them?"

All of her fellow students nodded, and paid the utmost attention, without any further assumptions. They weren't sure who lacked the ability of sight, and which had no voice, but they had noticed the incredible bond the two had. Naminé and Yuna felt it all around them. The boy with the darkish blue hair continued to look down, while the other with the battered scarf wrapped his arms around him. None of them uttered a word, though.

With a wave of Lulu's hand the whole area lit up intensely like never before, candles that had wilted were revived once more. Her smile was rare, but she made sure to make the latest members to their dysfunctional family as welcomed as possible. "Don't be frightened, we'll all take good care of you. Here, you'll learn what _they_ didn't bother teaching you. I will make it my top priority to train you, and then you'll be able to go back to that hell you came from. You'll then be able to obtain what's rightfully yours."

The boy with pale blue eyes continued to stare in the distance, feeling a sense of hopelessness as he couldn't see any of his soon to be friends. It pained him dearly to see only darkness, but he knew the other boy he was embracing would take care of him. He will be his light, and he will guide him, just as the woman who had rescued them is doing now. Although, he felt the need to speak in spite of himself, "Will we, _really_?"

"That was my promise to the woman in red, and I have never broken any of my promises. I assure you Ryoji-kun and Minato-kun, that monster will never see it coming. I will teach you how to use your heightened senses, for the good of all those around you, especially yourselves. _That's_ why I'm here. To show those less fortunate, their true path, to accomplish what you were meant to. No obstacles will obstruct thy path, not the way it was for—" Lulu then paused as she realized, her words had gotten the best of her. She didn't speak anymore of the matter.

Naminé looked at her mentor quizzically, "Mistress Lulu? Are you—"

"—I'm fine, thank you for your concern Naminé. It's my own fault, I was beginning to dawdle in past affairs, either way, please take good care of these boys. They're _special_ just like you and Yuna," Lulu smirked and instructed the girls to show them around, while the boys lead them to the room they'll be staying in soon after. "Once you become situated with your new home, I'll come by and tell you of the schedule. According to your current abilities, I'll assign you specific lessons to better those abilities. Please, don't hesitate to ask any questions. Is that all clear?"

The blue-haired boy nodded, while the other with the delicate eyes and worn-out scarf voiced his approval, "Yes, ma'am. Thank you, for everything you're doing for us."

"Not to worry, you'll be able to thank me properly as you continue to learn and fight for your resolve. I must go now. I have a couple of things to do. Naminé, you're in charge." No more words left the sorceress' mouth, as she made her way to her resting quarters, each dim light going off in her wake.

Once Lulu was out of sight, the prior inhabitants of the pseudo magic school— known to everyone in the kingdom of Destiny as it's one-stop place for all kinds of healing remedies— were absolutely stumped. They were face to face with two new possible students with _potential_, yet they didn't know what to do about it. It seemed to be a delicate issue, and the boys especially were left with question marks floating above their heads. Roxas had especially felt extra crunchy after spewing out such reckless things, but it didn't seem like a big deal to them. It was as if they were used to it all, nothing seemed to faze them. _That's_, what got to him the most. The blond was so used to people like Sora and Naminé, that such personalities intrigued him, even if he was more on the cold side as well.

Ryoji was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable under those invisible gazes upon him and Minato. He might've not been able to actually see the stares, but he could always trust his gut feeling. Yeah, it was _pretty_ uncomfortable. The boy sighed clutching onto Minato's shoulder a little tighter without realizing, "So, are you guys gonna show us around or not? This seems like a rather neat place… We're really grateful you're letting us stay here!"

Finally, after quite the long pause both Naminé and Yuna smiled, and they reached towards them with even more growing grins. Yuna gave a slight bow in Minato's direction, "We should be the ones thanking you two. Besides, the more the merrier right?"

The blue-haired teen stared at the brunette's eyes, and his mouth slowly gaped open.

' _They're stunning.'_

"Hmm?" Ryoji smiled. He could sometimes hear Minato's thoughts, only if the boy left himself unguarded enough. Since, it was such a simple statement, it had gone through. Oddly, it made Ryoji rather happy, to know that it wasn't just him feeling that special connection. Minato also felt the same way. He then replied back telepathically, _' What is, Minato-kun? '_

' _Her eyes. One blue, the other green…'_

Ryoji frowned, _'Shame I can't see them…'_

' _Want to? '_ His eyes closed then, as Minato pictured in his mind's eye exactly what Yuna looked like, from every single detail of each strand of hair to those vibrant eyes. Ryoji emitted a gasp then.

Yuna looked over at Naminé a little concerned, for lack of a better word, "A-Are they all right?"

Somehow then, Ryoji waltzed over to Yuna, taking her hand lightly, placing a small kiss at the top, "You're quite beautiful."

Immediately Yuna blushed, even Naminé blushed. They both looked at each other, and wondered how in the world could _he _see what _she_ looked like? Wasn't he _BLIND_? It was quite impressive, but at the same time on the verge of absolutely _creepy_.

Sora didn't like _any_ of what he was witnessing. From the moment those two stepped into _their _home, he _knew_ he was not going to like them. Sure, Sora was a nice guy most of the time, but those two weirdos were setting off all sorts of loud obnoxious alarms in his head. He whispered to Roxas, "_Seriously, __**these **__are the type of guys we have to protect the girls from! And here's __**Mistress**__ Lulu willingly bringing them into our home_!"

The blond grunted, "_You're right, what is she thinking?_"

"Um, guys? You know that with our heightened senses, we can kind of hear you from over here," Ryoji sighed and shrugged.

Both girls glared over at the pair of cousins, "Even _we_ could here you."

"Uh, so… Roxas we should get to work you know… since we don't have afternoon classes like _they_ do? What do ya say?"

Roxas avoided any form of eye contact with the girls as much as possible, "Yeah, that would be great. Maybe we can meet Paine and Rikku along the way. Besides, Mistress Lulu is here—I'm sure these _two_ will be in their best behavior, and we won't have to worry."

Sora nodded, "You're right, nothing will happen on Mistress Lulu's watch."

Days like these, Naminé felt like using her mediocre magic tricks on the two imbeciles that called themselves _boys_. Yuna literally had to hold her back from attempting to disembowel them.

"Ha! What are you gonna do, _Nami_? Your magic isn't advanced enough to do anything harmful to us! Come on, hit us with your best _shot_!"

The blond boy's eyes widened, "What are you doing!? Are you _crazy_? You're provoking a _witch_ in training?!"

Yuna squealed in fright as Ryoji took advantage of the situation, wrapping his arms around the girl as well, "Not to worry, they're only getting what's coming to them."

The brunette squeaked, squealed and shoved Ryoji away, not caring if he was blind or not, "_THAT'S WHAT I'M AFRAID OF_!"

"Ow! Do you want to make me deaf too?" Ryoji cringed.

"Whatchu gonna do, eh Nami? I don't think bippity boppity boos will work here…"

"_**Sora**_…" Before another word left the blubbering fool's mouth, Naminé muttered an incantation under her breath, and blue glittery fairy dust shot out towards the brunet's direction. The boy's nose twitched, and he sneezed. He laughed when he noticed that all that fancy schmancy fairy dust didn't do _anything_ to him. Ha! He knew it! Although, he sneezed again, that time feeling himself shrink a little in overall size.

The whole bunch stared at him, and Roxas attempted to contain his snorts. "What's so FUNNY?"

Sora sneezed again, and he shrank some more, this time sprouting something he would rather not share in the presence of anyone, especially not the girls. But it was inevitable, when he felt said appendage twitch just as his nose had. Before he had the chance to realize what indeed was going on, he sneezed yet again this time going through the full transformation. Sora knew that this was it for him, he couldn't possibly get himself any deeper than this. Or could he? He would rather ignore such possibilities.

Fuzzy ears, twitching nose, cotton ball of a tail… _Naminé why?…_

Yuna squealed again and rushed towards Sora, picking him up from the floor, "_HOW CUTE!_ It's a Sora _bunny_!"

Roxas' shoulders drooped, and he sighed, "Not _again_. How are we going to explain this?"

Ryoji was able to see the spectacle thanks to his friend's ability, and he was ever so grateful for it was all highly amusing. He started laughing, clutching at his sides as he did so. He couldn't remember the last time that he had such a good laugh, "I think, we're going to enjoy our time here. Right, Minato-kun?"

A simple nod from the blue-haired boy was more than enough confirmation. They were most definitely going to have quite the interesting adventure to come.

------------

Everything was so _different_ on the outside, it simply overwhelmed the prince. From the windy streets, to the market where people would shop for their daily necessities, even the children playing in alleyway corners. He could overhear them as he consciously rearranged the hood of his peasant ensemble. There were two little boys arguing over who would get to play the part of the prince, while the other would be the role of the loyal servant. Naturally, Riku understood why they would argue so_ passionately _about such a topic. Who would want to be a servant?

Riku immediately stopped himself from processing any more thoughts of such, for if Kairi were some sort of mind reader he'd be in deep trouble. He would never hear the end of it if she had heard that thought in particular. Kairi had always stood up for everyone, even those that didn't want anyone to stand up for them. She was righteous and caring, and one day would make the perfect queen. Although, in the society they lived in a _queen_ was nothing next to a _king_. The king was obviously higher in rank, and naturally his decision was absolute. Kairi would probably kill him for thinking that as well.

Without realizing it Demyx had approached the two boys, and Riku arched a brow following close behind. He thought he was going to show him around, and make sure he stayed safe… but instead he was playing with _children_?

"No, _I'm_ going to be the prince," said the boy with bright orange curls.

"Are you kidding me? I'm more _prince-like_ than you! I even got the silvery hair! Besides, who'd want a _carrot-top_ like you as their prince?"

"Why I outta!"

The two boys pounced at each other while Demyx attempted to separate the two, "Hey, stop that you guys! You're both _friends_, act like it!"

"B-But _he_ started it! He called me a carrot-top!"

"But you _are_!"

"Why _you_…"

Demyx placed himself in between the children, and kept them from attacking each other like crazed lunatics, "No name calling while I'm around."

The orange-haired boy grunted and kept missing punches, "_Leave_ then!"

A sigh left the blond's lips, "Is there a rule that there can only be one prince? Why don't you both be princes in that case?" Well, it certainly shut everyone up, but no one really responded to Demyx's suggestion. He thought it was a great idea! He then shot a pleading look over to Riku, in hopes of him getting a second opinion.

Riku wasn't sure how to react to Demyx's pathetic plea, but if it would shut up the annoying brats it wouldn't hurt. He smirked and nodded, "The blond buffoon is right. There's no rule that there _has_ to be just one prince—" That's when it hit him… If Riku, yes, if he could find some sort of _replacement_. What an ingenious plan, he thought. He actually had the brats to thank for that. Now, who would be able to serve as said replacement?

Since Demyx noticed no more words of wisdom—if he was even able to call them such—was going to leave the _real_ prince's mouth, he took it upon himself to encourage the boys further. "Besides, personally, I think two heads are better than one. The kingdom could rest easy if there were _two _dedicated princes instead of one working alone. Ya know, since I assume running your own kingdom full of all kinds of people… isn't an easy task. It's about teamwork, royalty or not!" The blond seemed absolutely _radiant_, and it only made Riku shudder. Although, he had to admit, this bard was definitely on to something.

"Thanks Mr. Buffoon!" the two boys smiled wide and went off to play, knowing now that it was okay to have more than one member of royalty in their _game_.

Demyx grinned and smiled back, "You're welco— Hey! Don't call me that! That's just plain rude… Eh, they even have the attitude of royalty." He then looked over at the snickering prince.

"They're cute kids, but really we're wasting time. Show me around, already," The prince sighed as he looked at the road ahead. Everyone seemed so nonchalant; if they only knew they were amongst royalty. They would have to react, and bow down to his greatness, naturally. But, it was comforting at the same time, to be ignored. All that unwanted attention, was _great_, but it bore the prince rather quickly.

"Well, I have a show to put on, but after that I'll make sure to escort you around town. I've been working on this song, for someone…"

That definitely got Riku's attention, "Oh? My interest is piqued. For who if I might ask?"

Demyx blushed and looked away from the prince's gaze, "Someone, I lost long ago. She was very dear to me, and was stolen away right under my nose. It was all my fault…"

As the blond trailed off, Riku realized he shouldn't ask any further questions on the matter. Demyx was a very happy-go-lucky guy, seeing him looking glum was very, _weird_. He nodded, "Well then, where are you planning on performing?"

"Oh! It's a street show, around here actually. If it's all right, will you be okay hanging out for awhile? I'm going to get everything set up and ready. I'll be keeping an eye on you, so please stay nearby—" Demyx whispered the next bit, only intended for the silver haired royal inches away from him, "_Your majesty_…"

---------------

The sky was a deep orange with purple hues, evening making open threats to take over what was rightfully hers at that moment in time. The moon was slightly visible in the far away distance of the setting sun, almost having a taboo rendezvous while no one and _everyone _was looking. Sora loved the sky, the sun, daytime, although, his cousin was different; he preferred night. He believed more things could get done—rather get away with—during the night. That's when their secret business schemes _flourished_.

It wasn't as simple as juvenile pickpocket scheming as Rikku and Paine were known for, it was much more complicated than that. A year back, Roxas decided that stealing bread from unsuspecting merchants, or pretending to help old crones cross the busy market streets—while they reached into their skirt pockets to steal whatever little money they had earned selling homemade goods— wasn't enough. The boys realized they had no shame, and they knew that to survive they needed to do anything possible for such. Mistress Lulu was never one to judge, because she knew that desperate times called for desperate measures. For that, all her students—her children— were grateful. She never justified their acts though, but at least she could sleep at night knowing they could fend for themselves. Although, the current plan that had been put to action, might not be one she could ever forgive. More so because of what the boys were doing to themselves… The boys had taken the worst possible detour, but in the end it brought home good money, when they made it back unscathed anyway.

"Should we really be out tonight? I have a bad feeling…"

"Quit your whining, it's bad enough we can't go towards the woods as we usually do. Nobles don't really walk around town this late, it's _suicide_," Roxas sighed as he looked around for anyone that looked the part of an aristocrat. Sadly, Mistress Lulu had mentioned for them not to stay out too late, since they had to be hospitable and present for the newcomers. She had that look on her face—the one where she knows something is not right—which was quite disconcerting to the boys.

Sora continued to stare at the now more than eminent moon; she was beautiful. He then shrugged, "They're not stupid. You think we're the only ones trying to rob them at this time?"

"That's why we gotta be out early, and make sure we make ourselves available when and _where_— _Ugh_, if we only had some sort of inside source," the blond boy grunted and shook any thoughts of using the girl's abilities for such despicable deeds. "Anyway, you take the right, by Betwixt alley, got it? I'll be by Hermetic."

The brunet stuttered, "A-As in t-the Order of the _Golden Dawn_, Hermetic? Rox, I wouldn't suggest you—"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Remember, Lulu— Er, I mean Mis— Anyways, she's a member, and they wouldn't touch any of her kids."

Sora grunted, "She's kinda more like an anarchist in that sense, since she's not part of them anymore. She felt something was up, it wasn't the same organization. Do you think someone is acting as an outside influence to—"

"Just go already! We're wasting time!"

"Ah, got it! Sorry," The boy sighed and made his way to Betwixt alley, as he was told to do so. Sora vaguely remembered the Order, he was still very young though. He doesn't remember much from his past, but his cousin—who was more like a brother to him, in all honesty— Roxas, has always been there for him. He didn't remember where he had come from, or why the people that had done them harm didn't just finish them off. The boy just knew they had been targeted by members of said _Order_, and their family had to suffer because of it. Yes, his memories were limited, but as the days went by, glimpses of his past have been making themselves known once more.

There was a scenario in particular that just kept bugging him, he even dreamt of the surreal events over and _over_, every night. Sora bumped into someone as he walked passed them, didn't say a word in apology, but he did look back. The moment his curiosity got the best of him, his vision went completely white, followed by a loud pang that resonated all through his body. He clutched the sides of his head, as he fell on his knees.

_Alone._

"_Where am I? I'm all alone… Roxas? Naminé…? Mistress... Lulu? ANYONE?!"_

' _Don't bother calling out to them, no one is here, but you. '_

"_W-What do you mean?"_

' _You're inside your subconscious at the moment, where little by little I've been showing you snippets of your long-lost memories. In time, you'll be able to remember _all_.'_

"_Wait just one moment here! How are you able to do—"_

' —_Your sixteenth birthday, the last piece of the puzzle will be revealed. Everything will come back to you by then. Your _destiny_ is in motion. Until we meet again... '_

"— _My birthday… but that's in a week! Don't go! This is insane! I have so many questions!" Sora looked around, but no matter where he turned to, all was white. He continued to walk ahead, but he wasn't going anywhere. Already panicking, he almost slipped over something on the non-existent ground; it was then he saw what looked like a card._

_Someone was playing tricks on him! Whoever it was would surely pay, Sora thought to himself. That is, until he saw the card face up. The brunet scrunched up his face, and scratched the top of his head. He stared at the man on the card, even had an urge to call him stupid. The man was technically about to fall to his impending doom, yet he was still walking forward nonchalantly, almost with an innocent, care-free smile on his face… It made _no_ sense! _What was going on?

"_The Fool?"_

_The card then burst into flames, the only color adorning the mysterious room of his mind. From the ashes came forth yet another card, this time it was an ace. The magic wand burned brightly, coming to life right in front of Sora. He was tempted to take hold of it, but hesitated. The ace of wands was taunting him, reassuring him that if he was willing to take charge, the answers he sought would soon make themselves known._

_His destiny was indeed, in motion._

' _Don't forget… one week's time… '_

----------

There was a person that seemed to be in pain, almost writhing on the ground, clutching at the sides of his head. Riku wondered if he should help the stranger, but decided against it. The last thing he needed was to be figured out, by some sickly looking peasant no less. Although, the screaming, it would draw attention sooner or later. If he were to leave the alley, Demyx would most probably scold him… Ha, he'd like to see him try. Regardless, he was always one to follow orders— why did that suddenly bother him?

Putting his insignificant pride and other useless presumptions aside, he walked over to the boy. He bent forward, not entirely in a crouching position, and asked him the most absurd of questions, "Are you all right?"

Just peachy, Riku thought. He certainly looked _far _from all right.

The brunet heard yet another loud pang go off in his head, and he glanced up at the hooded figure by his side. There was something glimmering around his neck, something shiny, and most definitely _valuable_. He was most certainly not anyone's typical aristocrat, but if he had something of value hanging around his neck, then maybe there was _more_. The pain had yet to subside from Sora's body, but he didn't care. Right now, all he needed was a good ol' adrenaline rush. An almost wicked grin flashed across his face, as he reached for his pocket pulling out a knife, pushing the hooded figure up against the nearest wall. The knife dangerously licked the surprisingly pale neck hiding underneath those tattered clothes.

"What the _hell_—" Riku had stopped breathing for a couple of seconds, when his mind finally processed what was happening. Yeah, this is what the stupid prince gets for actually being _concerned_ for another human being. He roughly grabbed onto the insane kid's arms, pushing the hand with the knife away as much as he possibly could. Once he had the advantage, he would show the fool exactly _who _he was messing with.

The faint smell of blood filled the air, and while the brunet was distracted Riku shoved the kid off him momentarily. The moment he was going to counter, the prince ducked, finally kicking the knife away from the other's grasp in the process. As expected the lunatic went to grab the weapon once more, but Riku was already ahead of him. They both then stared at each other in absolute silence for what seemed like forever, until Riku finally spoke.

"What is it that you want from me?"

Still in a trance-like state the boy simply replied, "Revenge."

--------------

More author's notes as promised! I do hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter. I put a lot into it, and then some. :D I already have half of the next chapter ready, so I guess you'll be reading from me again soon.

Notes:

1. ) The Order of the Golden Dawn, is real ( although, other than the name itself for now, is entirely fictional. There are many books available on the subject, but I would suggest reading Mary K. Greer's "Women of the Golden Dawn" first. It's the most accurate, and packed full of yummy history. Yes, it is more focused on the female members of the association though. ) I'm just tweaking it, and using it for fun occulty purposes. Yay!

2. ) Many things happened in this chapter, and almost everyone has a dark past. So, forgive me for the angst!overload ( I gladly blame it on Spanish soap operas! ). It's been a long time since I've flexed my angst muscles! :D But yes, if you have many questions upon reading this chapter, and cannot guess the outcome of the character backgrounds— good. I'm really working hard on making their backgrounds intriguing/somewhat unique---hopefully, to the point where they can spawn more side-stories. ( Helllllooo Ryoji and Minato! ;D )

3. ) Tarot cards, yes, there will be plenty more where that came from. The inevitable has occurred, Sora has begun his Fool's Journey. Oddly enough, so has Riku. Two fools in one story? How will that work? Ah, I know it's possible, considering everyone goes through their own journey, in search of their own truth. Be prepared for many plot twists to come.

4. ) Random trivia: In the beginning I had considered Sora's character to sell himself to random nobles for money. AHEM. Butttttt--secks? o.o--, I thought assassins would be much cooler, and less sleazier! :D Besides, I was going to make Roxas his pimp, and that would've been really weird. Bad cousin Roxas, BAD! HAHAHA, why is Chef!Xemnas interested in my disposed idea? MANSEX NOOOO-- ahem.;;;;; O.O I like them as a duo of assassins.

5. ) As the story progresses you will be able to associate certain archetypes to the characters. Such as Mistress Lulu, she's between two major arcana archetypes. I see her as the High Priestess or— you guessed it— the Empress. But everyone is allowed to guess who is who, because it makes it more fun that way. ( If anyone wants a list of the archetypes of the Major Arcana, let me know and I'll add it in the next chapter notes. ) If I label each of these kiddies, it wouldn't be as exciting. D:

6. ) By the way, that song Demyx mentioned in the chapter, is real and was written by me. :3 Unfortunately, I haven't finished it, but I might post snippets of it throughout the story.

Thanks to all those that have read my fics up to now, I really do appreciate it. If you've enjoyed this piece of work, let me know. It would make me a really happy bunny. ;D Thanks again!


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